This invention relates generally to building constructions and prefabricated wall systems and, more particularly, to an improved panelized wall construction system which is easy to assemble, which lends itself to several more efficient methods of installation including energy efficiencies, and which provides an easy method for achieving wall alignment independent of foundation misalignments which might have occurred during pouring of the foundation.
Most modern residential and light commercial designs use platform framing. Platform framing is the skeleton of the house that provides the structure needed to attach the other house components and transfer the weight through the foundation to the ground. With this type of framing, each floor is built as a supported platform with the walls constructed separately and attached to the top of the platform. The first floor is built on top of the foundation walls like a “platform”. The foundation is the footprint of the house or other structure that is in contact with ground. The foundation performs the function of spreading the structural load over a wider area and preventing differential settling of the structure. FIG. 1 is a representative illustration of conventional platform framing where the first floor is built on top of a conventional foundation wall. This framing typically includes sill plates, floor joists, rim boards, sub-flooring, soleplates and so forth as illustrated in FIG. 1. The walls are then constructed and raised on the platform as illustrated in FIG. 1 and the second story floor or platform is built on the raised walls. This process is repeated for each additional floor. Although this type of construction provides a safe and simple form of building, it is time consuming.
Shrinkage, expansion and contraction due to variations in temperature and humidity, seismic vibrations, sonic booms, thunder claps and high winds are all factors that will distort the foundation framing section of a house or other structure and will cause such structure to vibrate and move. A structure never goes back exactly to its original state once one of these events occurs. Such micro movements of a wall with respect to the foundation, over time, will produce small openings therebetween such as gaps between the foundation wall and the sill plate, between the sill plate and the rim board and/or floor joists, between the sub-floor and rim board and/or the soleplate and so forth, all of which will provide a path for unwanted air exchange between the inside and outside air. In the past, this unwanted air infiltration may not have been important but with high fuel prices, these subtle details now become important and with the advent of energy conservation, air flow leakage paths and leakage rates must now be addressed. Thus a new way to attach the wall portion of a structure foundation is also imperative.
In view of the ever-escalating costs of construction for both residential and commercial purposes, and in view of energy considerations, there has been an ongoing effort in the construction industry to develop wall systems which may be relatively economically fabricated and assembled offsite and thereafter transferred to the construction site for quick and easy integration into the onsite building process. It is intended that the prefabricated wall systems would replace the onsite board-by-board platform framing and finishing process currently in use while still maintaining strength, stability, and wall integrity.
Although panelized wall construction is well known in the industry, efforts to modernize and industrialize residential and commercial construction using a panelized wall construction system has had limited success. Whereas automobiles, appliances and electronic devices have been factory automated for many years, residential and commercial construction remains primarily an onsite activity using stick-built platform framing construction methods.
Applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,364 discloses one such panelized construction system for wall formation which utilizes a plurality of block forming units which can be arranged in vertical, side-by-side rows, with endwise abutment between adjacent rows of such units, positively interengaging components being provided on the confronting ends of each block forming unit for joinder with an adjacent unit. Adhesion between the block forming units of one row and those of each adjacent row are affected by both cementitious material as well as wall expanding and contracting units which are provided within the wall formation. This system also uses a cooperatively engageable pin and bore arrangement for likewise affecting joinder. Although this system provides sturdiness, wall integrity and safety, it does utilize three differently constructed block forming units which must be properly arranged in a specific order in order to achieve the desired effects such as to permit facile expansion and contraction of the structure responsive to atmospheric conditions. Although this panelized construction offers great potential including reduced construction cycle time and improved framing quality and energy conservation, it's more complicated assembly process has hindered industry implementation.
If successfully implemented, panelized wall constructions can provide a wide range of benefits to the construction industry by relocating wall framing operations from the construction site to a controlled factory environment. Factory operations can be optimized and automated for mass production of wall panels that are engineered to meet all structural and performance-based specifications. In addition, a factory environment can provide methods for more efficient utilization of materials and human resources.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved panelized wall construction system which overcomes many of the shortcomings and disadvantages of present wall construction systems and which is easy to assemble; it is susceptible to mass production in a factory environment; it is susceptible to computerized assembly; and it is susceptible to accommodate intricate architectural details. It is also desirable to provide an improved panelized wall construction system which provides means to correct wall misalignment during onsite assembly independent of foundation misalignments that might have occurred during the building process, which provides a convenient electrical chase which allows for the inclusion of shock absorbers to isolate the structure from the foundation in areas of seismic activity, which provides a capillary break or moisture barrier to prevent moisture seepage, and which lends itself to several more efficient methods of installation and attachment to a foundation wall.